Family is where your heart is. It's exactly like a crew. It's exactly like a home too. The nice thing about my heart is that it's pretty big, and I've left parts of it in many places. Some of them are still floating - others have sunk. But I still have a lot to give.

Narcell'us is in some serious trouble. That's what she said last night before we retired to the library, and I rightly believe her. With Ildan drunk and stealing our precious effects, who knows where her family treasures have wandered off? He is a brigand and needs to have some sense knocked into him. I'll do it soon enough.

--

Just knocked some sense into Ildan. I guess he made his way back into the manor last night - his room smelled like a latrine. Narcell'us and I barged into the room to shake some sense into him. She was looking for her ring, me the key. Ildan only had the key and gave it after some persuasion. The key is cold and something that I don't understand. Never seen anything like it. Narcell'us says that it's made of something called cold iron and isn't something from around these parts, like an otherworldly thing. I've seen some things before, and anything "otherworldly" gives me the shivers. A lot of bad things come out from there.

She also said something about the bed. It's desecrated - an evil object. I got Ildan out of bed by flipping over the whole works! On the other side was something that I'd call otherworldly - rows of nails and some teeth. No bed I know is made with teeth - so I tried to chop it down. But it resisted my blow. I struck true with purpose, but it only cut into the canopy. I gave it another go - one cut won't fell a large tree. But still it resisted. Was this sorcery? My palms sweat and I felt a bit tired, but I gave it one last shot. Still not a true cut, though! And I was mighty tired, like after a dawn till dusk type of day rigging. Narcell'us seemed concerned and interested by this, and assured me that she'd get to the bottom of it. My solution would have been fire, but more important things emerged.

With all the racket in Ildan's room Vani came in to check things out. We chatted about things and decided to help find the ring. Ildan could help try to identify who he lost it to and Vani has friends in Malkara, so they went down to town with me joining them. We had to keep our identity secret - Narcell'us stayed back with the others with the TIP. But don't they know that our posters are all over town? Vani clued in and gave us disguises, with me looking a lot like Bird Girl. I liked that very much - Bird Girl is beautiful and I felt that way with all these feathers as well.

--

Turns out Vani's friend is Tong. Kaulin, goblin, slaver. I couldn't believe it - even though Vani shared her past I didn't know she was friends with those vermin. How could she betray us like that? But then I remembered that Vani now is different than Vani then. People can change over time and it's kind of hard to see. The only people I've seen that don't change are Tong. Little bastard had the gaul to invite me to the Crimson Sail. Maybe I'll pay him a visit.

The ring was with a Grue - an albino at that - named Lucien. He owns a bookstore so we paid him a visit there. But he wasn't budging and we couldn't get any information from him. So Ildan and Vani staked out the space while I let Narcell'us know that we hit a dead end. But on the way to the manor I had a thought - this talking business isn't going to help with a rough like Lucien. He deals with the Tong and everyone else, and though it's been a while, Rilador have connections with the city too. If I'm going to redeem myself in their eyes, I should make a name of myself.

--

Narcell'us was in Ildan's room with a dead fawn and Jeremiah. What was happening here? Narcell'us tried to explain what was happening and all I could think about is the bed. What she said made a bit of sense and she said something about fighting fire with fire. I know that you fight fire with water though and let her know this, which she didn't seem agreeable with. But we moved past it and left the bed with Jeremiah. A strange sort.

--

Fortunately Lucien was leaving the bookshop when we arrived. I followed him and Vani broke into the bookstore. If there's profit to be had from it, I can't argue about her methods, unsound as they are. Narcell'us didn't say a thing though - I imagine she approved of my decisions! So I sat down with the albino Grue at a restaurant to have a little "chat." Turns out he's a bit of an asshole. The magician-type, like those snot-nosed brats in the TSR. I hate those types - not as much as Tong - but they think they're better than everyone else because they can read and wear fancy things. My solution to that is finding something we all have in common. So I showed him that one commonality and punched him square in the jaw. Lucien took the punch and laughed while coughing a bit of blood. It was a bit scary to be honest. He wanted to be hurt - it's not fun if someone bad like that wants to be hurt. He wants to see Narcell'us suffer, and if he suffers then she does too. He said something about the things that lurk in the dark, and how he knows the things that those things are afraid of. And that isn't good.

I left the restaurant and let Narcell'us know that this guy's a madman. We all regroup and share our progress on hunting down the ring. But even if we get the ring those things will know and will attack us all. I don't think we're equipped for that. But I know who might be.

--

Next morning I stroll to the Crimson Sail. It's been a bad day and I want to blow off some steam. There's something bubbling inside of me and I want to take that out. But that's not how family works. Family sticks together. I make my way to the Tong bar and see a goblin and an ogre bouncing the place. Lucien needs to suffer too and needs some things that bump in the night to chase him down too, so I let those roughs know that Lucien put a hit on Kaulin. Two birds with one stone. I can have at least a bit of fun with them too. Maybe it will keep my family together.